Activation of Urease Apoprotein of Helicobacter pylori

H. pylori produces urease abundantly amounting to 6% of total protein of bacterial mass. Urease genes are composed of a cluster of 9 genes of ureC, ureD, ureA, ureB, ureI, ureE, ureF, ureG, ureH. Production of H. pylori urease in E. coli was studied with genetic cotransformation. Structural genes ureA and ureB produce urease apoprotein in E. coli but the apoprotein has no enzymatic activity. ureC and ureD do not affect urease production nor enzyme activity ureF, ureG, and ureH are essential to produce the catalytically active H. pylori urease of structural genes (ureA and ureB) in E.coli. The kinetics of activation of H. pylori urease apoprotein were examined to understand the production of active H. pylori urease. Activation of H. pylori urease apoprotein, pH dependency, reversibility of $CO_2$ binding, irreversibility of $CO_2$ and $Ni^{2+}$ incorporation, and $CO_2$ dependency of initial rate of urease activity have been observed in vitro. The intrinsic reactivity (ko) for carbamylation of urease apoprotein co expressed with accessory genes was 17-fold greater than that of urease apoprotein expressed without accessory genes. It is concluded that accessory genes function in maximizing the carbamylating deprotonated ${\varepsilon}$-amino group of Lys 219 of urease B subunit and metallocenter of urease apoprotein is supposed to be assembled by reaction of a deprotonated protein side chain with an activating $CO_2$ molecule to generate ligands that facilitate productive nickel binding.